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Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grape juice. Wines made from other fruits are always named accordingly.
There are many steps in making and producing wine. First, the grapes must ripen in the vineyard until they attain suitable sugar content and acidity.
The next step is fermentation. Crushed grapes are combined with special wine yeasts that will dominate over yeast that may have been acquired in the vineyard (on the grape surface, leaves, and stems) or in the winery environment (in tanks, barrels, hoses). The addition of this yeast culture ensures complete fermentation without the loss of odor and produces wine with consistent flavor quality.
Followed by yeast fermentation is a second fermentation by lactic acid bacteria. This fermentation is called a malolactic fermentation and during this process, lactic acid bacteria convert malic acid to lactic acid and CO2 , which results in lowered acidity. The bacteria also change the fruit flavor of wine and add some flavor compounds from their metabolism.
Wine flavors can continue to change while the wine is stored in wooden barrels, stainless steel tanks, and in glass bottles. During this development of wine, various yeasts and bacteria can be present and further modify wine flavors. Different wines benefit from longer or only short aging.
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